SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff's Office says a homicide investigation was underway in the Valley Center area Wednesday.
According to a press release from the sheriff's office, deputies served a search warrant at a 20-acre property and home in the 14000 block of Oak Creek Road at about 5 a.m. The release says they're looking for 65-year-old Nadine Jett. Deputies say at this point, no arrests have been made.
ABC 10News has been on the scene for hours, observing deputies and homicide detectives using several K-9s and drones to canvas the large ranch property.
A neighbor told 10News that a loud bang early Wednesday morning jolted her out of bed. When she checked her security cameras, she saw a line of law enforcement vehicles driving straight at her neighbor's house.
“I looked at the cameras because we have cameras all set up, and then I saw all of the SWAT vehicles coming in," says Valley Center resident Diana Hertz.
Hertz says Jett moved into the place around 2021, and neighbors used to see her all the time coming up and down the road.
ABC 10News tracked down four sisters in Los Angeles who consider Jett their mother. She was their foster mom, but they tell us she became the only mom they ever knew.
"The last time we saw her was in December of 2023," says Paris Lucci. "We haven't seen her since. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. So the last time that we saw her, she was very sick and since then she's been missing."
The women say Jett did have a caretaker: Another foster child whom she'd taken in years before. They claim that caretaker told them Jett was too sick to see or speak with them.
"So, he called us and he just simply said 'you know, she passed away,'" Paris said. "He would not give us the death certificate. He claimed she died in Mexico. He claims he cremated her in Mexico."
The sisters say that after years of not being able to get answers, they reached out to law enforcement for help.
The sheriff's office hasn't been able to provide us with much information about the ongoing investigation; however, Paris and Tiffany are feeling hopeful, seeing investigators on the property.
“We've been pushing it for a very long time. Um, we do hope, you know, Nadine's found, you know, just to; so she can rest in peace," Tiffany says.
If you have information for deputies about this homicide investigation, reach out to Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. If your information leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
This is a developing story. Watch ABC 10News at 4 p.m. and beyond to hear from Jett's foster daughters.
